It’s day seven of the Naughty Threesome Blog Tour with Marie Sexton, S.A. Meade and Talia Carmichael!
Hello, and thanks for joining us on Day 7 of our Naughty Threesome Blog Tour! Today, we’re talking about the music we associate with our new releases.
*****
S.A. Meade: This is an easy one for me. I started working out the plot for Stolen Summer while I was flying from Phoenix to Los Angeles, to meet up with some writer friends. The book had really grabbed me by this time. After my roomie and I had a late lunch, we returned to the hotel room and I started hammering out the first chapter. My roomie asked if I’d heard of Ludovico Einaudi. I confessed that I hadn’t and she played the title track from ‘Divenire’. It’s a gorgeous piece – lots of rippling piano and strings. The whole CD is terrific instrumental music. It made the perfect soundtrack for Stolen Summer. Even now, when I listen to it, I can see the scene each song accompanies in my head.
Stolen Summer, by S.A. Meade
The last thing journalist Evan Harrison expects to hear, when he returns from covering the war in Afghanistan, is that his best friend, Colin Williams, is in love with him.
Colin, an Oxford Professor with a poet’s soul and a roving eye, turns out to be a temptation Evan can’t resist. What he discovers is that sex with Colin is hot, wild and relentless. The two of them embark on a passionate affair and Evan knows he’s going to spend his days with Colin – after one last assignment.
A western journalist in Pakistan is too tempting a target for local insurgents. Evan’s ‘Oh-shit’ sense fails dismally when he is taken hostage and spends four months refusing to let his captors grind him down by clinging to memories of the lover he left behind. Freedom from captivity, however, doesn’t bring freedom from terror. The legacy of Evan’s ordeal results in meltdowns and nightmares that threaten to destroy his life with Colin. He can’t even seek comfort in lovemaking because the pills intended to save his sanity kill his desire.
Evan seizes a chance to put his nightmares behind him by taking one final assignment, covering unrest in Jordan. Colin sees Evan’s decision as the end of a relationship he fought hard to save. If Evan makes it back to England in one piece, winning Colin back will be the toughest assignment he’s ever faced.
Buy it here:http://tiny.cc/5qsa0
Marie Sexton: Song of Oestend actually started with a song. Specifically, a song called Barbed Wire Boys, by Susan Werner (http://tiny.cc/9022t). The idea of Deacon out on the prairie, stringing barbed wire while Aren watched, burst into my head. It all grew from there. The tone of the book came from the Doolin’ Dalton/Desperado Reprise (http://tiny.cc/m4v2j), by The Eagles. The overall lyrics don’t fit the story, but that mournful, melancholy feeling stuck with me. The music I listened to while I was actually writing the story was the soundtrack to a game called Red Dead Redemption. I’ve never actually played the game, but I stumbled across the soundtrack while browsing Amazon, and it was absolutely perfect. (http://tiny.cc/oywoh)
Song of Oestend, by Marie Sexton
Aren Montrell has heard tales of the Oestend wraiths – mysterious creatures which come in the night and kill anyone who’s not indoors. Aren’s never had reason to believe the stories, but when he takes a job as a bookkeeper on the BarChi, a dusty cattle ranch on the remote Oestend prairie, he soon learns that the wraiths are real. Aren suddenly finds himself living in a supposedly haunted house and depending on wards and generators to protect him from unseen things in the night. As if that’s not enough, he has to deal with a crotchety old blind woman, face “cows” that look like nothing he’s ever seen before, and try to ignore the fact that he’s apparently the most eligible bachelor around.
Aren also finds himself the one and only confidante of Deacon, the BarChi’s burly foreman. Deacon runs the BarChi with an iron fist and is obviously relieved to finally have somebody he can talk to. As their relationship grows, Aren learns there’s more to Deacon and the BarChi than he’d anticipated. Deacon seems determined to deny both his Oestend heritage and any claim he may have to the BarChi ranch, but if Aren is to survive the perils of Oestend, he’ll have to convince Deacon to stop running from the past and finally claim everything that’s his.
Buy it here: http://tiny.cc/mkqzb
Talia Carmichael: I have a playlist that I get for each of my books. It is a eclectic mix of music from classical to rock. It plays in the background as I write. In certain scenes I would play a specific music based on the emotion I am trying to portray. For example I listened to Rolling in the Deep by Adele when I wrote the scene when Blayne confronts Ralston about how he was acting so cold and rude after the first time they got together. Blayne let Ralston have it during that moment and the song helped me channel al the pain and anger he was feeling. And for Ralston trying to make up with Blayne I used Shameless by Garth Brook. In a pivotal screen when they came to the realization of how they felt I played I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing by Aerosmith. The songs portrayed the emotions and set my mood to guide me through those parts of the book. As well as many other songs.
Ralston’s Way, by Talia Carmichael
Blayne Dalton knows from their first introduction he will need all his calm reasonable skills to deal with Morgan Ralston. The rancher is aggravating and determined to avoid him. The calm he is known for goes out of the window. He can’t decide if he’d rather deck him or kiss him senseless. How do you rope a cowboy? You teach him that not everything has to be his way.
Morgan Ralston likes things his way. On his ranch, he is the one who make the decisions. Well at least he is supposed to be. When his brother decides to hire a new office manager and cook he knows it will lead to nothing but disruptions. What he gets is not what he expected. The man who becomes his office manager is not a problem to the ranch. The trouble is of a more personal nature—to his libido. Avoiding him doesn’t work. It’s time to approach this as he does everything else. After all when it comes down to it…there isn’t any other way but Ralston’s Way.
Buy it here: http://tiny.cc/3mqw2
*****
Today, we’re giving away a pdf of Stolen Summer, by S.A. Meade. Leave a comment to enter. Also, please be sure to follow us on our blog tour. We’re keeping track of everybody who leaves a comment along the way, and on August 30th, we’ll choose one person to win our Grand Prize!
The Grand Prize winner will receive:
● $50 All Romance Ebook ebooks bucks! (You must have an account at All Romance Ebook so we can send the prize to you.)
● 1 pdf from Talia’s backlist (winner’s choice of Detour, Reckless Behaviour, or A Tender Roughness)
● A swag pack from Marie
● 1 ebook from Marie’s backlist (winner’s choice of Promises, A to Z, Strawberries for Dessert, or One More Soldier)
● 1 pdf of S.A. Meade’s Stolen Summer
Follow along and comment often. The more places you visit us, the better your chance of winning.
Monday, August 22nd: Top 2 Bottom Reviews (http://top2bottomreviews.wordpress.com/)
Tuesday, August 23rd: Talia Carmichael’s blog (http://taliacarmichael.com/blog/)
Wednesday, August 24th: Amara’s Place (http://www.amaras-place.blogspot.com/)
Thursday, August 25th: Fiction Vixen (http://www.fictionvixen.com/)
Friday, August 26th: Marie’s blog (http://MarieSexton.net)
Saturday, August 27th: Heidi Cullinan’s blog (http://heidicullinan.wordpress.com/)
Sunday, August 28th: Smexy Books (http://www.smexybooks.com/)
Monday, August 29th: S.A. Meade’s blog (http://kestrelrising.blogspot.com/)
Thanks for joining us today, and thank you very much to Smexy Books for having us!
Verena says
Please count me in :-)
Brie says
Oh I love friends-to-lovers stories! Count me in!
Tracy Tucker Faul says
Yes, please count me in as well.
jayhjay says
Please count me in for the giveaway. I am enjoying hearing all about your books on these blogs.
June M. says
Friends to lovers stories are some of my favorites. Please count me in on the giveaway. Thank you!
Monica says
Hello ladies, very eclectic taste in music. At one point I could study and write to music, but I can’t anymore because its too distracting. Right now the wind is howling here in Boston and I feel like its music in a way, lol.
One more day on the tour and I’m sure I’m going to have withdraw symptoms. Since our Governor has advised us to stay in and wait Irene out, I am going to put the titles of all three of your books in a Red Sox baseball cap and pick one out to buy now.
Well I have one more day until “Stolen Summer” is out, so I can’t get instant satisfaction now, so I have to draw again. If I pick Marie’s book, then how can I be eligible to win her book? Decisions, decisions.
Oh, Talia, I wanted to share my second favorite ice cream flavor with you. It’s Ameretto Almond Crunch by Haagen-Dazs. When I can’t find pralines and cream, which the Walgreens in my area have an exclusive on, I buy this since its available in the grocery store. It’s a limited edition so it will only be around for a little time.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
Talia Carmichael says
Monica,
Ameretto Almond Crunch sounds yummy. I’m going to have to look for it. To try it. Enjoy the rest of your weekend too.
sue (s.a.meade) says
A big Thank-You to Smexybooks for letting us clutter up her blog today.
Thanks for your comments, everyone. I’m glad you’re enjoying our posts.
Monica, I want that ice cream…now
Tiffany M says
Again I love the 2 of the 3 books and am looking forward to getting the last. Great job ladies.
Talia Carmichael says
Thanks Tiffany. Glad you enjoyed the book.
Sherry S. says
I’ve really enjoyed following your tour. All of the books sound like amazing reads and I look forward to reading all of them.
Talia Carmichael says
Thanks for all your comments and checking out our tour.
Christina says
gotta follow this tour! I am gonna have to check out these authors =)
Gabriela B says
Count me in!
sue (s.a.meade) says
Thank you Oie xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Thanks, again to everyone for stopping by today.
Good luck with the draw!
Darcy says
Wonderful post. Music and books go hand in hand with me. I know that certain songs that I love are those that give me the goosebumps and the tingling at the base of my neck. They bring me to an emotional place that I just can’t explain. But my daughter does understand what I mean when it comes to music. It’s become her life.
Wonderful contest and thank you so much for sharing a part of yourselves with your readers…*S*
Loving all the excerpts and can’t wait to read all three books!
Darcy
pommawolf @hotmail.com
Trixie says
I want to check out your musical choices so that I will have them in my head when I read your books.
Maya says
Well, you know I had to go to YouTube to check out the music I was unfamiliar with! ;) All great choices!
Please count me in on the draw, please!
Jan O'Hara says
*raises hand* Please count me in for the draw.
Judi says
Even though I don’t write professionally, when I write Fan Fictions, Listening to music like that is totally how I write! and exactly in the way you ladies used it, I use, and now when i listen to that specific Track I remember and see the characters when I wrote them.
When I listen to music sometimes my own characters come out. And though I haven’t given them a voice yet, they always speak to me when a song that applies to them comes up. I love it!
lol… IDK… It makes me feel happy I’m not the only one that does it. My sister or friends kind of look at me weird when I’m listening to one of said songs and when I explain why I laughed or whatever they’re like… “O-kaaaay”
haha… It’s kind of a bummer but I’m not really all that sad about it.
I love my men speaking to me in my head. lol… (>o>…. that sounded weird… but you know what I mean. xD)
SarahM says
Thanks for sharing your music choices for the books – very interesting!
smaccall AT comcast.net
Jen B. says
I just found this tour. I have to go back and look at the prior posts. I love Marie Sexton. I have never read S.A. Meade or Talia Carmichael. Thanks for the giveaway.
jepebATverizonDOTnet
Kaetrin says
I haven’t read Talia Carmichael or SA Meade (yet) but I’m a big fan of Marie Sexton’s work. Please count me in! :)
hankts AT internode DOT on DOT net
Marie Sexton says
I’m sorry I’m so late! For those who don’t know, Heidi Cullinan is here visiting me this week. Today, i took her to Boulder and we toured around Pearl Street. Had a GREAT time. Tonight, we put some streaks in our hair (red and pink – I’ll share pictures tomorrow).
Anyway….
Thanks so much to everybody who stopped by today! We really appreciate all your comments. We have one more day on our tour (on SA Meade’s blog), and I hope you’ll check it out. Every comment you leave enters you into the drawing for the grand prize.
And thanks VERY MUCH to Smexy Books for hosting us today. We’re very honored to be on her wonderful blog!
Stella (Ex Libris) says
One of my favourite tropes is the friends-to-lovers one :-D Love how gradually or suddenly they see each other in a different light :-) Stolen Summer sounds interesting, would love to read it! :-)
stella.exlibris (at) gmail (dot) com
Lisa says
I am slowly getting into making more soundtracks when I write. Sometimes it’s just for listening when I’m off the computer and keep me thinking about my story, because I find it hard to write while listening to music. These prizes sound amazing, I’m defintiely interested in entering.
Midia says
I’m late. If possible I would like to participate in the giveaway. The pound seems interesting. Thanks.
Midia
midiamuniz@yahoo.com
Midia says
I’m late. If possible I would like to participate in the giveaway. The book seems interesting.
Midia
midiamuniz@yahoo.com
Chele Blades says
crossing fingers Now…i do love all those covers
seachele71@hotmail.com
Anne R says
nIce article on how music influence and supports your writing. I have discovered some of my new favorite groups by looking at the playlist from authors for some of my fav books. Please enter me!
a says
I don’t often play music while writing, but I find it interesting what others do. =)
And count me in if you haven’t already selected. =)
adara adaraohare com
Tabitha says
While I havn’t read any on these authors yet I definitly intend to start now! All of the books featured sound amazing. Please enter me!
Ryan says
Stolen Summer may be a book I would enjoy.